


Arandurioni (Sons of the Steward)

by lirin



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Poetry, Quenya, Terzanelle, with English translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-12-14 22:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/pseuds/lirin
Summary: Faramiro nainië Boromiren. (Faramir's lament for Boromir.)





	Arandurioni (Sons of the Steward)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).

Tye ar ni, tarnengwë Ostoelenionessë.  
Vaitanengwë collongwat naraca orrósúrinen  
Nan omótanengwë ar nét alassië, yalúmessë.

Oantetyë cato maurinen,  
Carë anda lenda Arcimbelenna;  
Vaitanetyë collotya naraca orrósúrinen.

Anes maurinya i leltanë tye lumbulenna;  
I Arandurionit nét perinë, ar lá atavellenyel  
Apa anda lendatya Arcimbelenna.

Rómatya né túvina hyarna; utúvies tyel.  
Lá atalamyuvas taurava yá engwë lelya;  
Ar i Arandurionit nát perinë, ar lá ataveluvanyel.

Sí nányë Arandur. I Aran cunya, ar i nórë alya.  
Enyalinyel, ar enyalin nyarnar i lúmion  
Yá rómatya lamya taurava yá engwë lelya.

Merin polityë véla i anvinya Arandurion.  
Yondonya ar ni, tarimmë Ostoelenionessë.  
Enyalinyel, ar nyarin sen nyarnar i lúmion  
Yá omótanengwë ar nét alassië, yalúmessë.

* * *

You and I, we stood in Osgiliath.  
We wrapped our cloaks against the harsh East wind  
But we toiled together and were merry, once upon a time.

You went away afterwards, because of dreams,  
To make a long journey to Rivendell;  
You wrapped your cloak against the harsh East wind.

It was my dream that sent you into shadow;  
The sons of the Steward were parted, and I never beheld you again  
After your long journey to Rivendell.

Your horn was found cloven; it found an end.  
Never again will it sound mightily when we set out;  
And the sons of the Steward are parted, and I will never behold you again.

Now I am Steward. The King rules, and the land is blessed.  
I recall you, and I recall tales of the days  
When your horn would sound mightily when we set out.

I wish you could meet the newest son of the Steward.  
My son and I, we stand in Osgiliath.  
I recall you, and I tell him tales of the days  
When we toiled together and were merry, once upon a time.

**Author's Note:**

> If Tolkien can say that the change from "Elen sila lumenn' omentielmo" to "...omentielvo" in later editions of FotR was because Frodo made a mistake (as opposed to, say, because JRRT changed his mind about the inclusive plural form), then I can obviously blame any potential errors in this poem on the fact that Faramir is not a native speaker of Quenya. (But seriously, though, concrit is welcome!)
> 
> A few points of interest that don't fully come across in the English translation (which is nearly literal but sacrifices precision for fluidity at points):
> 
> This poem was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Quenya's dual form, which is a separate type of plural for when only two people/things are under consideration. The first few plurals in this poem are duals—Arandurionit (sons of the Steward), collongwat (cloaks). ("Arandurioni" in the title is a regular non-dual plural because there are three Steward's sons mentioned in the poem and I meant it to include all of them.)
> 
> Verbs also have a dual form, and in the first person it has a further option of being either inclusive (the person speaking and the one being addressed; -ngwë) or exclusive (the person speaking and another person, not the one being addressed; -mmë). In the poem, this is most conspicuous in the switch from tarnengwë (we—that is, you and I—stood) in the first line to tarimmë (we—that is, him and I—stand) in the antepenultimate line.


End file.
